Restaurants

We are headed to Portland,ME (not Oregon) for the weekend to run a 5K and I decided to do a little lot of research of dining options. Here is my guide to Portland, ME Vegan Friendly Dining (FYI this gives you an idea of what you can eat at these restaurants it is not a review of the restaurant because frankly I haven’t been to all of them- I will do a review of the ones we do visit upon our return):

The staff will let you know for sure which options are vegan there are a few I am not sure about- the skewers are though and they are good! So just double check; below are the vegetarian options which are most likely vegan or can be made that way.

Fruit Gelatos (Sorbettos) that are completely milk free, egg free and fat free. Our fruit flavors are made using exclusively fresh fruit, water and different kinds of natural sugars. Usually, we produce :

Quote from the restaurant “We do have a few salads on the menu for vegans, however, if you want to come to the restaurant, the chef prefers to cook strictly for you. to be honest there are very few things actually on the menu that are vegan, but we are happy to customize the menu for you. if you would like further information please call us at 207-761-0555. again, the chef takes all dietary restrictions/allergies very seriously and would be happy to accomodate you.”

Neil and I have been so crazy busy this week that we just haven’t had a lot of quality time for each other so last night Neil proposed that we find a patio to go have dinner on. So I did my nails and put a cute dress on and we headed downtown to find an outdoor dining spot.New nail color thanks to Beauty Without Cruelty– review and giveaway to come

Apparently everyone else had the same idea, to head downtown and eat al fresco. So we finally settled on Italian and waited a bit for a table. When we finally got a table we ordered a small chicken of Chardonnay to share and decided on salads and flatbread.

Overall we had a nice night together but the service was awful! The waitress got our flatbread order wrong and then she disappeared for most of the time and it was just not ideal. The salads were good but Neil’s was way better. The flatbread was blah not great, really dry and boring.

Last night I took the night off from cooking, from my cleanse and from all other household duties to take advantage of Vermont Restaurant Week. A month ago before I decided to work on a new cleanse I had made reservations for the Hubz and I at The Bearded Frog for restaurant week and since proceeds go to a good cause and the restaurant isn’t in our normal price range we decided to take advantage of their three course tasting menu. Here are the details on Vermont Restaurant Week from their site:

Q. What is Vermont Restaurant Week?
A. From April 29-May 5, participating restaurants will offer special, prix-fixe menus showcasing their chefs’ greatest dishes. Those menus will feature discounted, three-course “tasting-style” dinners (e.g. appetizer, entreé and dessert) priced at $15, $25 or $35 per person. The week also includes a special calendar of special, food-themed events.

Q. How does Vermont Foodbank benefit?
A. 10% of the proceeds from event admissions, sponsorships and restaurant participation fees will be donated to Vermont Foodbank. Restaurant-goers can donate $10 via text messageor make a web donation in our Virtual Food Drive will be launched on this website to allow diners to donate to the Foodbank.

Originally we were going to try a few different restaurants but then decided due to the cleanse and the fact that the other restaurants that interested us are ones we visit often that it would be best to choose just one. After perusing the veggie friendly menus on the Vermont Restaurant Week site we settled on The Bearded Frog, the only menu that actually said they had a vegan option. We had heard great things about the restaurant but had never visited it due to the fact that it isn’t close to our home and that there is one vegan option that goes for $19 a plate.

We arrived at the restaurant and were promptly seated out our reserved table in the corner, which I really loved because it up’d the romance factor along with the dim lighting and warm colors. We placed a drink order, prosecco for me and beer for him, and then we got down to business and ordered from the tasting menu (the only vegan options in each category).

Appetizer Course: The salad was very simple yet fresh and the lemon-herb vinaigrette was truly delicious. We paired it with some fresh bread with oil and vinegar instead of the butter and the blue cheese crostini that was to go with the salad.

Appetizer: Baby Mixed Greens With lemon-herb vinaigrette

Bread with olive oil and balsamic

Entree Course: For our entree we enjoyed the vegan version of Spicy Corn and Black Bean Pudding With blue-corn tortilla, dirty rice, avocado compound butter, tofu tomato purée. Instead of the avocado compound butter we received a guacamole. The dish was really delicious however if that is what you get for $19 on the regular menu I’d rather stay home and re-create it for $5.

Dessert Course: I would have to say the dessert was probably my favorite thing on the menu and something that I would definitely spend the money to come back and have again. The vegan dessert option was a trio of sorbets which included avocado lime, strawberry & 30 year old aged balsamic and mango violet. All three were really amazing but the show stopper was the avocado lime. It was super creamy and tasted just like ice cream, the Hubz and I both just couldn’t stop raving about it all night….honestly I still can’t stop raving about it.

Dessert Course: trio of sorbets which included avocado lime, strawberry & 30 year old aged balsamic and mango violet

Overall: We had a really wonderful time at The Bearded Frog and the food was really delicious. I am not sure that I would go back for dinner due to the high price of the vegan option but I would go back every day just for the sorbet. On another note I saw a number of really beautiful plates of food coming out of the kitchen and if you are vegetarian try the (unfortunately note vegan) crispy tofu cakes because they probably taste as good as they looked.

Enjoy a soup or salad with and appetizer or share an entree- this will help in controlling portions; you can still enjoy delicious food but you will be saving your wallet and waistline.

Avoid the mini bar; Stock your hotel room with healthy snacks so you won’t be tempted to eat the high calorie (and high priced) snacks that the hotel stocks in your room.

Do research; if you take nothing else away from this post it should be this. Take the time to research restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, natural food stores and markets before you travel. You will be able to make more conscious choices if you already know your options. You will also be able to scope out the best places to eat so you can enjoy your experience to it’s fullest.

Hotel Room Breakfast- Oats w/nut butter & figs

Cruising

Stick to your regular eating schedule; I know I already said this above and it applies to any vacations but while cruising (and visiting all inclusive resorts) this is when it is most important to stick to your schedule. You will have food available to you 24 hours a day and for many this means over indulging. Additionally remember to only eat when you’re hungry!

Load up on fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Limit your desserts

Avoid too may sugary drinks, stick to light beers, wine and clear drinks. If you want something fruity try seltzer with your choice of clear alcohol and a splash of fruit juice. Also don’t forget to make sure you stay hydrated! Drink your water!

Hubz and I crusing- i kept dried fruit snacks in my bag (you can see them popping out if you look hard)

Top Healthy Eating Travel Tips:

Stick to your regular eating schedule

Stock up on healthy snacks

Make conscious decisions when choosing to enjoy a poolside drink or that special indulgence dessert

Do you research! Find restaurants and health food markets at your destination that have healthy options.

The hubz and I took off on our anniversary trip to Portland Maine on Friday afternoon and were lucky enough to beat the traffic. Once we finally arrived in Portland we were hungry and decided to find a place to eat and spend the evening enjoying Old Port. After our 10 minute ride in a urine scented cab we finally made it to our destination, Boda, a Thai restaurant that is the sister restaurant to Green Elephant.

The menu isn’t super vegan friendly but the options that they do have (and we tried) were delicious! We started out with a shiitake skewer with teriyaki seasoning sauce and a portobello skewer rubbed with sesame oil and mushroom sauce.

After we polished these yummy skewers off we moved on to the Larp het salad with was Grilled assorted mushroom mixed with chili, shallots, soy sauce, lime juice, mint, long-leaf coriander, and roasted rice powder. Served with romaine.

Our last yummy dish was Tofu Shrimp with glass noodles: Traditionally cooked in a rustic earthenware pot with pork bellytempeh bacon, ginger, celery, scallion, cilantro, and soy sauce. Served with jasmine steamed rice. This is a silken dish, simple yet very pleasing. It is one of the few occasions when noodles may be eaten with rice. Available vegetarian with organic tofu, shiitake and tempeh bacon.

After our wonderful meal which included a shot of 11 Tigers (Thai spiced bourbon) that we sipped on and a Rogue Buckwheat ale we headed out to Novare Res Bier Cafe where we had a few beers-I had an Unibroue and an Allagash. Following these two drinks we decided to get a cab back to the hotel…however our minds changed when we spotted Sebago Brewing Company and it’s $3 beers after 10pm; so we stopped in for a hefeweizen.

Hubby was running late at work tonight and since we were starving we decided to go to On The Rise in Richmond VT (finally). We have wanted to try it forever but have never seemed to be able to make it there. The menu is so vegan friendly there is even a vegan pizza! We ordered a small vegan pizza, a deluxe salad with marinated tofu, and a chocolate macaroon. The food was delicious, fresh and amazing.

Now onto the giveaway: Earthlust sent me one of their stainless steel water bottles and guess what the sent me an extra one just for one of you lucky readers. EarthLust bottles are hand made from high quality #304 (18/8) food grade stainless steel, which is naturally safe unlined. They use non-toxic paints and BPA-free safe polypropylene #5 caps. I received one of the 13oz bottles and it is the perfect size to take every where with me. I am thinking about investing in a 1L bottle for trips and such but the smaller bottle is great for everyday use. I also love that they are unlined, unlike Sigg bottles which have a weird lining and make your water taste funny. Additionally, their bottles have some really great designs. So now it’s your chance to win this bottle (see below) isn’t it so cute?

Disclaimer: Earthlust provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

How to Enter: Please leave individual comments for each entry. Entries will be accepted until April 17th at 8am.

Visit the Earthlust website and tell which bottle is your favorite. (Leave me a comment)

Yesterday was my first day of work and it was great! I was super nervous at first and a bit overwhelmed but by the end of the day I was feeling comfortable with the position and I am excited to go back to work next week. My second day I have to travel for a meeting which is fun so we will see how that goes but so far I am loving it (haha okay it’s been one day). Also did I mention that I get to have an iphone for work! Hello colour me pumped!

After work hubby and I decided to stop and get a beer to celebrate my successful first day of work. Since it was dinner time we decided to go out (again) for dinner. I don’t know what is up with us we never go out to eat this much, usually only once every 10 or so days but this week we have been bad about it- I blame the awkward days, poor planning and no real grocery shopping. However this week will be filled with lots of home cooked meals as I went to the market yesterday and picked up lots of yummy produce. Anyways we stopped at The Alchemist but it was packed and there was a 45 minute wait for a table so we left and walked next door to The Reservoir where we had some yummy beers, a huge plate of hummus, salad and grilled bread and a housemade tofu/bean burger YUM!

I was pretty tired out after my first day back in the working world so we spent the rest of the night home hanging out on the couch watching a little L&O. Since we ate dinner so early we were hungry later on in the evening and decided to munch on some Veggie Medley Straws that I was sent to sample from The Mediterranean Snack Food Co. and they were super yummy! I also had another Inko’s White Tea this time Original.

Now I need to get myself in the kitchen and make breakfast and do some dishes before G-Ma and the ‘rents get here so we can go and see all the open sugar houses. Each year on this weekend the Vermont sugar houses are open for the public to come and visit and try their maple syrup and have sugar on snow with a pickle (to cut the sweetness) and a cider donut. It’s a been a tradition with my family to go and visit the sugar houses however since I haven’t been home for many Springs we haven’t all been out together. Neil and I went last year to the sugar house near our house but it was pouring and cold booo!

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